Love for French
As is well known, the British and Americans in general do not want to learn French, preferring Spanish as simpler. It's different for our compatriots, many of whom have loved French since childhood. And not because many know it, and not even because this language was considered an indispensable attribute of good upbringing and education for a century and a half. No, as true aesthetes, we value in it what repels other peoples: all that burr and nasality, which, in our view, sounds very beautiful! And even if parents do not know a word of French, they often send their children to French schools: let them at least learn this wonderful language. But, alas, the result is often disappointing: no matter how well the kids rattle off “futurs” and “conditionnels,” no matter how much Balzac and Maupassant their long-suffering organism has digested, the pronunciation still remains to a greater or lesser extent far from perfect. And meeting a real, living French person can be completely disconcerting: try to understand what he is rattling off at machine-gun speed, even if he is not a gamin or a clochard, but a perfectly respectable person with correct speech.
That's why a trip to France is necessary: it is there that children can “perfect” their French, especially the phonetic component. And at the same time absorb idioms, get acquainted with French culture, life, and manner of communication.
France is a country that, by European standards, is not small. This means that its regions are unlike each other: Brittany (north) is one thing, Provence (south) is quite another, and Paris is generally a “state within a state.”
True, geographical differences do not affect language schools, the quality of teaching, or academic programs. Of course, children will not be taught a northern or southern accent, although be prepared that if you choose Nantes or Nice, the speech around will not be entirely Parisian. On the other hand, Parisians have not been speaking like actors of the Comédie-Française for a long time...
Language schools are abundant in all regions of France. And of very different kinds — from giants with branches in several cities to tiny family-run schools where 20-30 people study at a time. Statistics show that the favorite French cities for language course students are, firstly, Paris, and secondly, Aix-en-Provence, Nice, Antibes, and other resorts in the south of France.
The choice of a “resort” school is often explained precisely by its attractive location, not by good teaching, although among them there are many high-class educational institutions. Of course, for preparing for an international exam or for other serious purposes, it is better to prefer an educational institution where nothing distracts from studies. Another matter is vacation courses, when it is still unknown which component is more important — lessons or entertainment. In many French schools, they are firmly convinced that for children under 16, the main thing during the holidays is to rest and have fun, and learning is secondary and generally more needed by parents than by the children themselves. Therefore, they try to make the learning process as natural as possible — through sports, excursions, games, and other interesting activities. Great importance is attached to communication both with adults — school staff and host family members — and with peers.
Often children are placed in families where there are children of their age, and little French children can participate in school activities. Although lessons, of course, also take place, they go hand in hand with a rich cultural and entertainment program. And its specifics depend precisely on the school's location: in the mountains, children will be turned into seasoned mountaineers and rock climbers; in cities, they will be introduced to all the museums and historical monuments. Even in some Loire castles, language schools have settled, where children are offered to temporarily transform into dukes and duchesses.
As for seaside schools, there, ideally, everything revolves around water. Besides that, there are, of course, other interesting activities. And schools located in cities organize trips not only to historical landmarks but also to places that will undoubtedly appeal to children. And this could be European Disneyland or Futuroscope, the giant Lego constructor at Danish Legoland, or the Astérix theme park.
Galloping Through Germany
One of the advantages of Germany is that this country is located almost nearby, so the journey there does not pose difficulties and does not take much time. Moreover, foreigners have long gone to study in this country. Let us recall at least Russians of the 19th century, with their “Göttingen souls,” who saw in German science and culture a standard to which all enlightened citizens should aspire! So for Germans, teaching adults and children from other countries is a familiar matter.
Nowhere in the world, it seems, is there such love from the government for its own citizens, practically expressed in the highest level of social security. In Germany, everything is arranged so that people live well and comfortably. Moreover, this applies not only to Germans but also to foreigners, who are treated more than friendly. Even if, God forbid, a schoolchild with poor German encounters difficulties (for example, he gets lost, cannot figure out where to go, forgets all German words in a shop, etc.), they will definitely try to help him find his way, figure out an incomprehensible bus schedule, and even carry his suitcase. One language school still remembers the story of a Japanese schoolgirl who arrived at the wrong railway station and vainly waited for school staff to meet her. Finally, realizing that the wait was dragging on, she thought to contact the station administration. So one of the employees personally, in his car, took her where she needed to go and literally led her by the hand to the school.
Beautiful German roads (autobahns) beckon travelers and make it easy to move around the country. Perhaps that is why German language schools so often organize "flying classrooms," with the study group moving from city to city. And also, probably, because every German city - whether big or small - is beautiful and interesting in its own way, and the spirit of antiquity that pervades this country gives much food for thought. What could be better than such an educational trip during the holidays? Especially since the Germans are very concerned with introducing foreigners to the country as closely as possible.
Germans are not the British, for whom sports games are an integral part of life. And not the French, who always want to have fun. No, their thoroughness and pedantry have not become proverbial for nothing. Of course, everything that language schools in other countries can offer in terms of entertainment is also offered here. But do not expect that children will find themselves in a school located in an old estate with parkland and luxurious sports fields. There are also no resort seaside towns in Germany. The local seas - the Baltic and the North - are cold. Therefore, the emphasis is on something else - on the charms of city life, which are introduced to children according to their age and interests. Older schoolchildren and students may be taken to a beer hall; there is nothing wrong with that, especially since many varieties of German beer, famous worldwide, can only be tried at their place of production - they do not withstand transport. Younger schoolchildren, of course, will not be given alcohol, but they will likely be taken to a beer museum.
In addition, great attention is paid to the interaction of students with local residents, and not just on the street: interesting people, as well as young people, are invited to the school and spend time with young foreigners. According to language school staff, some 'locals' like it so much that they literally spend all their time at the school buildings. And, of course, host families play a big role in 'German-style upbringing': sometimes they are even entrusted with a significant part of the cultural and entertainment program, especially if the children come not in groups but individually.
And yet, conscientious Germans believe that if you have come to learn a language, even during the holidays, you need to study to the fullest, despite the holiday euphoria. Therefore, a feature of many children's and youth language programs is their intensity: in children's (ages 8 to 12) and teenage (10-14) schools, it can be up to 25 lessons per week, in youth (15-18) schools - 30.
And the lessons themselves are built without concessions for the holidays. In general, this is correct: the German language does not tolerate a frivolous attitude; it does not penetrate the consciousness by itself. On the other hand, Germans believe that under such loads, a young body needs enhanced nutrition and full rest. And in many centers, teenagers are fed five times a day, and leisure time is thought out to the smallest detail.
It is easy to get used to German life. It is possible that at first the Germans will drive the kids crazy with their pedantry and neatness - qualities that we, to put it mildly, are not used to. But experience shows that after a stay in Germany, many adopt these traits, themselves become a little 'German', and this does them only good.